132545 2/Lt Stanley John Bryde CLEMENTS, RA : 02/06/1941 Grandfathers date of death

Hi All
Just trying to find out information about possible areas where my Grandfather ( 2nd Lieutenant Stanley John Bryde Clements RA svc no. 132545) may have died. The only info I have is that his Sergeant buried him somewhere on Crete, but was unable to remember where due to his own personal trauma. Any kind of info gratefully received. He is commemorated on the Athens War Memorial Face 2 and a picture of this if available would also be interesting to view. I have every intention of visiting the Memorial and Crete just to know I have been close to where he may have ended up.
Regards
Terence

Second Lieutenant Stanley John Bryde Clements | War Casualty Details 2105868 | CWGC

 

I am not familiar with the RA units in Crete but generally you need to obtain service records which should provide the information necessary to trace a soldiers units.
Request records of deceased service personnel

Notices | All Notices | The Gazette...

Photograph of the final resting place of Clements, Stanley John Bryde - The War Graves Photographic Project

Royal Artillery attestation 1939


Page 1043 | Issue 35476, 3 March 1942 | London Gazette | The Gazette

 

Tony56
May I say thanks so much for the info, this gives me a great start on my journey into my Grandfathers war history and service. This is unbelievably fantastic and so quick, much appreciated

Regards
Terence

 

Morning,

Is this him on the Antrobus War Memorial ??

Carl's Cam: War Memorial, St Mark, Antrobus.

Roll of Honour

Regards,

Graeme

 

With this date of death (two days after the end of the evacuation) and being remembered on the memorial, I am not sure there would be a known burial place? The evacuation was a shambles, so unit records won't be any help either. Maybe a unit history will help?

All the best

Andreas

 

Terence,

The link to his home village Antrobus could offer an option to ask if anyone else can help via: About or better: Antrobus History Group 2021

As he was thirty at the time of his death and was an Officer Cadet with the HAC (from the May 1940 London Gazette entry), I wonder if he had left the village before the war? Secondly, where was he educated? I have found a few helpful public / grammar school journals online. If he lived near Warrington and Nantwich, are there likely candidates nearby?

In note his father was a vicar @ Grappenhall, a nearby village and died in 1936. His mother and sister moved away from Antrobus in the mid-1950's. From: Seven Oaks There is only one church in Grappenhall, St Wilftred's; might that offer a starting point? A venue for a post-Crete memorial? See: Listed buildings in Grappenhall and Thelwall - Wikipedia It is an Anglican church, so the Methodist Chapel in Antrobus might not have been used: St Wilfrid's Church, Grappenhall - Wikipedia.

 

Regarding date of death/place of burial, I just had a look at the CWGC website, and they register 165 dead for 2 June of which only 3 are actually buried in Phaleron, and 81 are on the Athens memorial, while another 81 are at Suda. To me this would indicate that the date was an administrative device chosen as date of death for men whose death was not properly recorded.

All the best

Andreas

 

Yes it's him as he was known by John and I have that name as one of my middle names. My mother was looked after by his sisters during the war and was born in Antrobus.
Thanks for the info greatly appreciated

 

Thanks for the info, this will be really useful and I know quite a bit about Antrobus as my mother was brought up there in her early years, but didn't think about what you have suggested so once again thanks